1895. 



THE AMERJCAN BEE-KEEPER. 



73 



He worked' haru, tliis young fellow, as 

 foreman in a close, stuffy factory, and a 

 half day's recreation in the pure air was a 

 rare event with him. But somehow he did 

 not enjoy tlie prospect very much after 

 that war of words at the dinner table. He 

 wished he hadn't spoken as he did. If 

 May would only come and help him, but 

 she held herself aloof while he was getting 

 ready. She had intended to slip some 

 lemons and sugar into the basket — a pail 

 of lemonade would be so refreshing, im- 

 bibed in the shady glen, after the row 

 across the lake. 15ut now, if he wanted 

 lemons, he could help himself, she thought, 

 after the way he had talked. 



He was a long time getting ready, and 

 she wondered, as he fumbled with the 

 lines and hooks, if he really would go off 

 ■without kissing her. Her anger would 

 have melted in a moment at the first pa- 

 cific sign from him, but she would not 

 beg for a kiss, no! 



He started for the door. She had a 

 great mind to follow him there, but pride 

 kept her back. He was outside the door 

 now. She hastened after him. "If he 

 looks around, I'll let him see I'm ready to 

 make up," she thought. But he did not, 

 and so Mrs. John went back to the little 

 dining room and began to clear the ta- 

 ble, feeling herself a much injured wife 

 and rather glad, on the whole, that she 

 hadn't given in. 



But gradually better feelings prevailed. 

 Scarlet cheeks faded back to pink again, 

 and temper brightened eyes became dim 

 with tears. 



She watched the clock anxiously. How 

 slowly the hours passed — 2, 3, 4, 5 

 o'clock! '"In an hour ho will be here," 

 she said to herself joyoin-l ■ and she bus- 

 tled round td prepare an cx.i'anice supper. 

 She even went to the corner grocery for a 

 pound of the 40 cent butter. 



Six o'clock came, but no John. Half 

 past 6 — 7. She was walking the floor in 

 her unrest and now went out and stood 

 at the gate. She could see knots of people 

 talking excitedly along the street. A 

 freckled faced buy running by stopped. 



"D'yer hear 'bout the axideut? The 

 Bonnie Belle struck by a squall and seven 

 men drowned." 



"What's that?" asked a feeble old man, 

 coming out of the next house. "Who says 

 my boy's drowned? Why, he can swim. 

 There ain't water enough in Great lake 

 to drown John Carpenter." 



The wind blew his scanty locks over his 

 wrinkled old face. His faded blue eyes 

 wandered piteously round and finally rest- 

 ed on John's wife. 



''Don't you believe it, " he said, trem- 

 ulously, patting her arm with his uncer- 

 tain, shaking hand 



±iut apparently sho did not hear him. 

 Drowned! Her John — and sho let him go 

 to his death without a kiss! 



The freckled faced boy looked at her un- 

 easily, digging his bare toea into the 

 ground. 



"I didn't know as Mrs. Carpenter was 

 along," said he apologetically, forgetting 

 for the moment his own importance as 

 the bearer of news in view of her silent 

 misery. 



Some one took hold of the wife and led 

 her into the house. She groped her way 

 like a blind person. They said she had 

 better lie down on the lounge awhile, and 

 she obeyed. She could not see anything 

 now. 



"I am dying," she thought and was 

 happy in thinking so. 



Then sho floated away into darkness, 

 on and on, for a long time apparently. 

 Finally she saw a light, and opening her 

 eyes saw — yes, it was — John! 



Was she indeed in the other world, and 

 was John waiting for her? She spoke his 

 name. 



"She's coming to. She knowsme," said 

 the familiar voice. 



But how far off it sounded! And so did 

 her own voice when she spoke. 



"Where am I?" she asked faintly. 



"Here, dear, in the dining room," said 

 John again. 



He was on the floor beside the lounge, 

 his face close to hers. Their lips met in a 

 long kiss. 



"John," she said solemnly, "I thought 

 we were both in another world." 



"I did have a pretty close call," said he, 

 "and it was hard work bringing you 

 back." 



"The others?" sho asked tearfully. 



"Will and I are the only ones left of the 

 seven," he replied, with a sob. 



"Oh, John! It might have been you!" 

 she cried, throwing her arms around his 

 neck 



Just then a feeble old man who was sit- 

 ting close to his son said fondly, in trem- 

 ulous tones: 



"I knew there wasn't water enough in 

 Great lake to drown my John!" — Waver- 

 ly Magazine. 



Accounting For the Delay. 



Cawker — Cumso, did you get that letter 

 r sent you a couple of weeks ago? 



Cumso — A couple of weeks ago? I re- 

 ceived it yesterday. 



Cawker — Only yesterday! Confound it! 

 That comes of giving it to my wife to 

 IB ail. — Detroit Free Press 



Cleveland was named after General 

 Moses Cleveland, who surveyed the re- 

 gion. 



